In the August 2020 issue of Progressive Cattle, University of Idaho Extension Educator Scott Jensen dives into ‘Cool considerations for vaccine storage’.

The big takeaway is to make sure your biologic livestock vaccines stay in the 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit range from the time you buy them from your local retailer until the vaccine is administered:

• Bring a cooler along for the trip home from the retail store;
• Refrigerate vaccines immediately when you get home;
• Keep a thermometer in your refrigerator and monitor temperature on a regular basis;
• When ready to use your vaccines, keep them at the right temperature inside a cooler.
• Pre-cool your cooler with ice packs for at least 1 hour;
• Keep the vaccines and the cooler out of sunlight, if possible.

You’ve invested a lot in vaccines to keep your herd healthy. Protect this investment every step of the way. 

For a more detailed discussion of vaccine handling, check out this article from the University of Idaho Extension.